Yanagisawa AWO2 Alto Saxophone

Yanagisawa AWO2 Alto Saxophone

The Warmth of Bronze, the Precision of Yanagisawa

The AWO2 is where Yanagisawa's legendary craftsmanship meets the distinctive tonal character of bronze. The AWO2 possesses an amazing combination of tonal complexity — reminiscent of a vintage saxophone — and ease of play. It is the upgraded successor to the beloved A902 series, and like everything that bears the Yanagisawa name, it is handmade in Japan to exacting standards.

The WO Series represents the first major redesign of the Yanagisawa alto saxophone in over 20 years, building on the outstanding platform of the A9 series with a further-refined bore for a richer tone and several enhancements to mechanical purity.

The Bronze Difference

The AWO2's defining characteristic is its all-bronze construction. Where the AWO1 is built from brass, the AWO2 features a bronze body, bow, bell, and neck. Bronze produces a warmer, darker, and more complex tone with greater depth and color, making it a favorite among players who want their sound to stand apart. The effect is often described as organic and vintage in character, while retaining the precision and consistency of a modern professional instrument.

Sound & Response

The AWO2 delivers a superb tonal range thanks to a re-engineered bore and tone holes, and re-sourced and redesigned core material. It has a resonant tone while remaining free-blowing, delivering superb performance no matter the genre.

Key Mechanism & Ergonomics

The AWO2 shares the full suite of WO Series keywork refinements, each designed to maximize speed, comfort, and consistency.

Redesigned Front F & Side Keys: The front F key has been redesigned for a better feel, with additional feet under the right side key levers (B, C, and high E) for improved touch and response.

Fluororesin Octave Mechanism: Yanagisawa's fluororesin non-stick coating ensures a reliable octave-key action with no stickiness, even after years of heavy playing.

C# – Bb Connected Table Keys: A seesaw link between the C# and Bb table keys facilitates faster, smoother fingering technique.

Sway-Free F-Auxiliary Key: This mechanism dampens vibrations in the right-hand F# key, stabilizing notes in the lower register.

White Shell Key Touches: Indented mother-of-pearl key touches provide a natural fit and feel under the hand, and are less slippery than plastic.

Construction Highlights

Single-Post-to-Body Construction: The AWO2 features single-post-to-body construction, reducing weight significantly for quicker response.

Palm Key Plate: Previously only available on the 99-series saxophones, the WO Series addition of the palm key plate delivers high-range resonance, acoustic depth, more projection, and improved intonation stability.

Metal Resonators: Metal resonators are an improvement from the standard plastic resonators, adding clarity to the tone and improving playing response across the whole dynamic range.

Waterproof Air-Tight Pads: Yanagisawa's waterproof pads are airtight, providing complete confidence in the instrument's tonal integrity, and the waterproof material offers a greatly extended pad life.

Metal Adjustable Bell Key Buffers: The buffers used on the bell keys are metal, offering increased longevity and accuracy over plastic, and are fully adjustable.

Hand-Engraved Bell: WO2 series saxophones feature a uniquely styled, hand-engraved pattern on the bell, lending the instrument a distinctive, artisanal character.

Tri-Point Balanced Bell Brace: The bell and body of the saxophone are firmly connected by a tri-point balanced bell brace for added stability and resonance.

Who Is It For?

The AWO2 is ideal for players who want something more than a standard brass saxophone — those drawn to a warmer, more complex tone without sacrificing the precision and reliability that Yanagisawa is known for.

If the AWO1 is the benchmark for professional brass altos, the AWO2 is its soulful, bronze-bodied counterpart — richer in color, deeper in character, and equally uncompromising in build quality.